Three top tips to get a successfully job interview!

1. Susana Hesser-Galaz
5/6/15
Preparation is the key of a successful job interview
When you get a call from a company you were waiting for, and they finally tell you that they are interested
to interview you, you can be very happy; although, you might be very worried about how it will be. Probably you
don’t know what they will ask you or what to say or don’t say. As my experience for more than ten years as a
recruiter, I saw many great candidates rejected because they didn’t prepare for the job interview and they felt very
frustrated because they don’t know what was wrong. It is possible to achieve a successful job interview by following
three main steps: preparing the resume, collecting information from the company you apply to, and getting ready
for the day of the interview.
The first thing to do is preparing and memorizing your resume because it will help you to answer specific
questions during the interview. It doesn’t matter if you have already sent it to the company; you need to review the
resume to make sure you don’t miss anything important or relevant for the position. Check the date (year or month)
of all events on the resume and correct any grammar mistakes. It is a very bad impression if you are not able to
remember your own career since the interviewer probably will think you don’t care. You can ask yourself some
questions to help you remember; for example, why and when did you change yours jobs? How many years you were
in all positions? When and why you were promoted? Don’t forget to bring a spotless hard copy of your resume with
you to the day of the interview because you may need it!
Another important thing to do is researching and collecting information about the company you apply to;
thus, it will help you to prepare questions and to get a good impression from the interviewer. Not many people do
this step, and it brings a lot useful information. Collect all the information about history, mission, vision, news, and
everything you can get from different channels. Also, ask people you may know from the company or, those who
were working there. Ask them what they think about the company. You can also use social media such as “Linked
In” to contact your network. Once you have all the information, write down pros and cons, what you like and dislike
about the company, and advantages and disadvantages. Ask yourself what you could offer to the company and what
they could offer you. The interviewer may ask you this question.

2. Susana Hesser-Galaz
5/6/15
Finally, preparing the day of the interview will allow you to be more relaxed and to get the best from your
profile. You can make a list of more common questions about job interviews, researching from the Internet. Once
you have the questions, prepare the answers, write them down if it helps you. Remember you don’t need to give
answers too short or too long. Be honest, positive, clear, and specific. Don’t say more than the interviewer asks you
because s/he probably has time set up for the interview, so they will ask you just what they need to know. Some
people get too nervous about interviews. You can relax the day before, doing some relaxing activities such as yoga,
running, or sauna, anything that makes you feel more relaxed. A good technique to relax is breathing and visualizing;
after breathing deeply close your eyes and visualize yourself being confident and having a great experience during
the interview. You can do this each of the days before the interview. You should prepare also how to get to the
place where it will be and your outfit, thinking what kind of position you are applying to. You can ask someone
working in similar positions to make sure. If you are not sure, be more formal than informal.
In conclusion, preparing is very important; in fact, 90% of success is about preparation. Would you like to
be rejected because you didn’t prepare for your interview, or would you like to get the job you were dreaming of?
In my own experience, I saw a clear difference in candidates who prepared for the interview and those who didn’t.
The ones who do get a very good impression from the company, it means they care and the interview is important
for them however, the ones don’t get the opposite impression. Even having a good impression if your profile doesn’t
fit with the position you are applying to, the company will keep your profile for future vacancies. Therefore, are you
going to have a successful interview?